Ruby's Journey of Love, Harmony and Adventure
by kathlaida-princess
Summary: Emerald Nuzlocke Challenge. Ruby has just arrived at his new home, where he is nothing but a gym leader's son. It's time to step out of his shadow and live his own adventure, but nothing comes without danger or sacrifice...
1. Arrivals

**Ruby's Journey of Love, Harmony and Adventure**

**(my Nuzlocke experience from Pokémon Emerald)**

**Chapter 1**

**Arrivals**

The constant, monotone rumbling of his surroundings suddenly faded away, prompting his slumbering body to awareness. In the darkness inside the moving truck, little light poured from a small opening onto the pages of the book he had been reading. Awkwardly propped against a multitude of boxes, the sleepy boy blinked, pushed his skewed glasses up and closed the book, stretching while complaining about the prickling sensation all over his body. As he placed the book inside his bag, the cover read: "Beauty in strength: The Challenge of a Coordinator Trainer." He lazily got up, registering the where and the when.

It had been several hours since the boy left his home in Johto. It was not an idea he really liked from the beginning, and after restlessly travelling by bus, boat and this truck, he hoped to finally have arrived at his destination.

Thankfully, the doors of the truck opened before him, letting the early morning sun definitively wake him up. Several Vigoroths, tall, fidgety and muscular, immediately came in and started picking up the boxes, leaving the boy with little room to exit the truck. But he still got out, and while he took his first breath of fresh, new Hoenn air, he rubbed his eyes, pulled his white hat deeper into his head, took in the scenery.

Littleroot Town (that was its name, right?) was nothing special to look at, with few small houses scattered around, surrounded by a forest that looked no different from the ones back home. It was early, but already the Taillows skid across the clear air, twittering about in their trivial daily routines. The only place that actually caught his attention was a large building nearby, which looked sober and professional, somewhat important.

But before the boy could wonder what said building might be, his mother ran out of their new house and into his arms, bellowing an excited, "Ruby, you're here!" and squeezing him tight.

"Hello, mom..." was Ruby's sole reply as he sternly detached himself from her, looking slightly annoyed. But she was already pulling him forward, beckoning him into the house, and the pair was followed by the first group of Vigoroths carrying boxes. As expected, the house was still quite empty, but it looked spacey and much finer than the one back in Johto. The ground floor opened directly into the kitchen and the living room fused together, a staircase leading to the bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs. Yes, the house was just starting to get furnished, but Ruby noticed with some humor that the television was already plugged in and turned on.

"Do you like it, Ruby? Isn't this the best?" his mother asked, and she looked genuinely happy. It even rubbed off a little on Ruby's stingy mood. He managed a smile.

"Yes, mom. It is _lovely_."

"Well, since your father's Pokémon are doing the moving, there's not much to do... Isn't that nice, dear? Now please go upstairs and set the clock. It'll mark our official moving in!"

Ruby grumbled a little but he did as he was told. After climbing up the stairs, crossing a long corridor and going through a door, he reached a large room with an empty bed frame and his already-set-up computer. He slumped down on the chair before it and noticed his mother had deposited a potion for him. He withdrew it, just in case. Then his gaze passed by the stopped clock on the wall, his next destination.

It was a simple analogical clock, it gave the boy no trouble to set for 7:04 am. As he wound it up he felt utterly, irreversibly bored, unexcited about this entire town and the little he had to do with these new people. Not that things were hip and wonderful back in Johto: he never really had friends to begin with, nor the chance to train with his father, since he was so busy _all the time_. Still this had to count as one step backwards and Ruby could not be happy about that.

As soon as the clock (now ticking) was back hanging on the wall, his mother called him again, but this time she sounded even more excited. The boy took his sweet time walking back to the kitchen, and when he was there to see what all the ruckus was about, his mother groaned, disappointed, while staring at the television.

"Oh, Ruby, you missed your father by just a second!" she said. "They were just interviewing him, since he's the new gym leader and all... He was wonderful."

"How nice, mom..." the boy replied, nonchalant. He really had no idea of what to do now he was in this new place. The Vigoroths hadn't even brought in the couch yet, so that he could slump and pout all day... But thankfully his mother had a few ideas...

"Don't look so gloom, honey... Why won't you go out for a while and meet our new neighbors? I'm sure Professor Birch is in his lab too..."

Oh, so that big building from before was a Pokémon Laboratory? That actually seemed interesting... This showed on the boy's expression, which made his mother chuckle and say, "Well, go along! Just make sure to stay out of trouble..."

"Sure, mom. See you later..." Ruby waved, and left.

Going through the door and into the little town, there were now more people going on and about their lives, once in a while addressing the boy with curiosity, for a stranger was a rare occasion here. Most of them recognized him instantly after he mentioned his father, to his great annoyance, but there was nothing he could do. His father was the new gym leader of Petalburg City, after all. It meant all his years of hard training had finally paid off, even if he had to move his entire family to a whole new continent and was still away from home most of the time - Petalburg was still somewhat far away.

In any case, Ruby quickly reached the big building that turned out to be the Pokémon Lab. He went inside without anyone blocking him entrance, and for the first time since he arrived, he was absolutely astounded. The seemingly state-of-the-art machinery sprouted amongst a jungle of enormous, beautiful plants, giving the lab a look of utter wilderness. Several people, all white robes and glasses, scurried here and there to follow an experiment, take down some notes, ignoring him. Ruby had to force his jaw up as he stepped further inside, but after a while his presence was finally noticed...

"Hey, boy! Can we help you with something?"

The boy was almost startled, but answered right away, "The professor...?"

"Professor Birch is not here... He got carried away with his field work again... You must be Mr. Norman's son, right?"

Again with the recognition via parents... Ruby nodded.

"Well, he must be right out of town, studying the tall grass... I think you can meet him there. But first could you take this to his wife, please?" he handed out a small parcel. "Their house is right beside yours, if I'm not mistaken..."

Ruby took the package and the lab aide smiled in thanks. He managed to mumble a low, "See ya..." before leaving yet again.

Once in front of the professor's house, which was quite easy to find, he knocked on the door and wondered what kind of family this man must have... The door opened right away, but not to his liking, for someone came crashing into him... The shock nearly pushed Ruby to the ground, and got him in a fouler mood than before.

"I'm sorrysorrysorrysorry!" came a voice, and the boy noticed it was a girl that had collided with him. He regained his composure and put his glasses in place.

"That's okay..." though his tone somewhat contradicted this."I was actually coming in to deliver this to prof. Birch's wife..." he showed her the parcel.

"Oh, I can take that! Let me introduce myself, I'm Sapphire, I'm the professor's daughter!" She stretched out a kind hand, which the somber boy reluctantly shook. Now that he could study this girl properly, she looked overly excited and ready to go on an odyssey, all bandanas covering her brown hair and snug clothing, huge backpack strongly strapped to her back. "I've been waiting for dad to send me this before going out again... You know, I'm a Pokémon trainer! Thank you for bringing this!"

Ruby envied this girl, living the life he wanted for himself. He stared at her, hopeful, as she closed back the door and unwrapped the package, reacting quite happily to it and then stuffing it into her backpack. "And who are you?" she asked him then, curiosity taking over her emotions. "I bet you're that new kid!"

The boy sighed before nodding and saying, "Yes, I'm Ruby... Norman's son..."

"Ah. I know how it is to be always associated with your father's name..." Sapphire sympathized, and a surprised Ruby knew that she was being honest. Yes, being daughter to a Pokémon professor couldn't be very agreeable either. "And coming all the way here with no friends, it must be quite hard... Well, why won't you go speak with my father? He sometimes needs help with his researches and he is somewhat of an airhead, so he could probably keep you busy..."

The boy actually smiled this time, "Well, that was exactly what I was going to do... Apparently, he's working in the field."

"Hmm, typical... Oh, I have to get going, but it was really nice to meet you, Ruby!" she shook his hand again, smiling. "Hope to see you soon!"

Ruby watched her leave, remaining on the spot for while, before realizing he was actually heading her way as well. But when he started making his way out of town, Sapphire was nowhere to be seen.

The boy's first steps into the wild were nervous but actually quite empowering. He knew better not to walk into the tall grass, and he was already playing with the possibility of seeing this new Hoenn through the eyes of a trainer AND a coordinator, of realizing his dream. Perhaps he shouldn't dream so loud, tempting disappointment to find him...

He was just wondering if he still had to walk a lot more before finding the professor when he heard someone yelling for help. Worried, he ran towards the screaming and saw a man sprawled on the grassy ground, a raccoon-like Pokémon viciously growling at him, though its appearance seemed anything but dangerous... Upon his arrival, the man (who sported a beard and white laboratory robes) looked at him desperately, and pointing to a briefcase next to Ruby, begged, "Please, take a Pokémon from there and help me!"

With no further ado, the boy promptly opened the briefcase, and among torrents of papers and sketches and other complicated-looking instruments were three regular Pokéballs. There was no way Ruby could tell which Pokémon was inside which one, so picked one randomly and just threw it. As the red beam of light took the shape of a blue finned amphibian-like Pokémon, an exhilarating trail of emotion went through the boy's spine. The blue creature blinked twice at him, as if waiting for something, and the fallen man merely said, "Come on, give him an order!" Thankfully, the other Pokémon hadn't noticed them yet.

Ruby couldn't quite imagine what he was supposed to say, so a simple, "ATTACK!" would have to suffice.

Thankfully it did, for the growling Pokémon was sent flying by a powerful charge of the boy's blue companion. Ruby was happy with his success and even made a small victory gesture. Upon landing, the other Pokémon turned to him tackled back. Feeling a bit more responsible, Ruby tried his best to steer the battle in his advantage, and after a few rounds of tackling their opponent, it finally fainted.

This was the first time the boy ever fought and won a battle, and he was extremely excited about it. He was finally doing what he had wanted for so long and was finding himself falling naturally into its rhythm. While the man got up after this strange rescue, Ruby scurried towards the blue Pokémon and congratulated the weird creature on its fighting prowess. Then, all he could hear was the man laughing as he introduced himself.

"Wow, now that was some battle... I am Professor Birch, and I thank you for helping me here... Sometimes I forget how territorial some Pokémon can get..."

Ah, the hand of fate... Ruby reached over and greeted the professor with a firm handshake. "I'm Ruby, sir. My mom suggested I'd meet you, and so did your daughter..."

"Oh, yes, you are new here. I wasn't really sure if I could help you with anything, but now I can see you have a natural talent for battling, like your father, even if your methods aren't very... conventional... Little Mudkip here seems to have taken a liking to you." And the blue Pokémon knocked its head gently against the boy's leg. A Mudkip, eh?

"Actually, I have an idea..." the scientist went on."My daughter is supposed to spend the rest of her day up on Route 113, you should go there and meet her. Ask her to teach you some things about being a trainer and then report back to me... You can take this Mudkip with you, the two of you shall protect each other. What do you say?"

Ruby wasn't quite sure of what the professor wanted from him, but he really couldn't let an opportunity like this pass him by. "Alright," he answered.

"Okay then. You'll find Oldale Town along the way, then you head north, until you get near a river. Sapphire should be there. Good luck, I'll go back to my lab now, my colleagues must be worried..." Birch closed his briefcase back again and picked it up. "Oh, and by the way, do you wish to give that Mudkip boy a name?"

Ruby thought for a while, and said the first thing that popped into his mind. "Fish."

The professor laughed. "Well, Fish it is. See you soon, boy." And he headed away.

The boy, now alone (save for the Mudkip) and holding the Pokémon's Pokéball in his hand, wasn't quite sure of what to say. He decided to return Fish to its small home, placing it inside his trouser's pocket. Then he started heading away too, but in the opposite direction from Professor Birch.

The way to Oldale Town was quick and painless, and the place wasn't much bigger than Littleroot. Curious about the new buildings he found, Ruby found a woman promoting the local Mart: she gave him yet another potion he saved. The Pokémon Center, imposing and beautiful, sparked quite some interest in Ruby, who went in and was amazed at how quickly they could heal Fish if he just handed his Pokémon to the kind nurse. The machine beeped for a couple of minutes, and while his companion was getting some rest, the boy used the time to sit down himself. After a long morning of wearing his reading glasses, Ruby decided to finally put them away. He ordered some food from the small restaurant inside the center and ate hungrily, before picking Fish up and heading out again.

So he had to meet Sapphire now... Walking and staring at his Pokéball, Ruby decided to postpone that for just a bit, for he was still empowered by the thrill of battling, curious of what more he could accomplish. He tried heading west, to the route that would lead him to his father's new working place, but a thoroughly enthusiastic scientist went crazy at him for bothering his footprint investigations. So, he decided to train closer to his goal instead.

Several wild Pokémon appeared, some of them just like the first one he faced: Zigzagoon, it seemed to call itself. A few caterpillar-like creatures and dogs also faced Fish in battle, and now that Ruby started to get a hang of it, Tackling and Growling at his opponents came naturally. Not that the boy had to order the Mudkip to attack every time. His bold nature made him dive right into the battle, taking the other by surprise, even if it sometimes made him quite reckless. He had to be more careful about that.

In any case, after Ruby felt more confident, he gave Fish a new healing treatment and finally met Sapphire, who was indeed sitting by the river with her father's parcel opened next to her: some kind of ink she was using to sketch something the boy could not see from where he was. He stepped forward.

"Hey."

The girl stopped whatever she was doing to turn her head back. "Oh, it's you Ruby! I wasn't expecting to see you so soon... and I almost didn't recognize you without your glasses..."

He went straight to the point, somewhat annoyed, "They're just reading glasses... I met your dad and he gave me this," he showed her Fish's Pokéball. "He said I should learn a few things from you, but to be honest I kind of think he wants you to _test_ me. I'm prepared for it, though. I really want to be a trainer."

Sapphire laughed and was already dropping her brush, getting up, taking her own Pokéball from her belt. "I'm sure you are... Bring it on!"

Both young trainers threw their Pokéballs, Fish emerging quite excitedly from his, while the girl's took the shame of a green, gecko-like creature. A grass-type, most likely. Mudkip, obviously a water-type, would probably be in disadvantage. But it didn't seem to bother Ruby much.

Sapphire's Pokémon was weaker than Ruby's, but she had a keener sense of strategy, a closer bond with it, and it made the battle a greater challenge than just tackling their opponent away. However, by blind chance, Fish landed directly into a mud pond in what seemed to be a whole new move, and it splashed all over the opponent's face, giving Fish the chance he needed to Tackle it to oblivion, which he delivered in style. Both trainers called their companions back, Ruby adding this Mud-Slap to his move repertoire.

"Very well, you beat Treeko on your first try!" Sapphire congratulated, smiling. "I think that's enough... let's go back to dad." The two of them tidied up the place and walked back to Littleroot.

Ruby imagined this could only be a good thing…

"So, my daughter told me everything about your battle, Ruby..." Birch started, standing by a desk, Sapphire right next to him. The lab was in its usual state of wilderness, though the trio seemed to go unnoticed by the other scientists. "She already is an experienced trainer, the fact that you beat her on your first try is quite impressive. But I was already expecting that, and because of that I want to offer you this."

The professor picked up a small device from the desk and handed it over to the boy, who took it with curiosity. It was orange and looked extremely sophisticated, opening for him like a Shellder as he touched it. On its little screen appeared pictures of all the Pokémon it had met so far, including Sapphire's Treeko and his own Fish, which had a little Pokéball-shaped marking next to its name.

"It's a Pokédex," Birch explained before the boy could ask anything. "It automatically records all the data on the Pokémon you've seen and captured, like a high-tec encyclopedia! They were given to me by Professor Oak, who wanted me to test it with the Pokémon of this region. I'm sure you know who Oak is?"

Ruby nodded vigorously, scrolling down the pictures of the few Pokémon he'd seen. Who didn't know Prof. Oak?

"Sapphire has one of those, and she goes out regularly to try and fill it out... and I was wondering if you could do the same."

The boy looked up at the professor, and then at the smiling girl. This was quite better than what he had expected: going on a Pokémon journey with this machine would certainly be a privilege.

"Of course you can refuse, but you always have the League challenge and even several contests to keep you busy as well as-..."

"I'll do it," Ruby said right away, conviction echoing through his voice. "I'd really be a pleasure to help with this."

Birch chuckled and nodded, "Alright then! I think you're ready then... It's best if you tell more mother before you leave, of course, but I have great expectations in you. You've shown promise, and you can even live up to overcome your father. After all..." and the professor hoped he wasn't coming across as too bold, "... going out and feel the land is quite different from being a gym leader..."

This actually made Ruby smile. "Thank you."

"No problem. Well, my e-mail's in that Pokédex, so you can contact me through any PokéCenter computer whenever you have any doubt. If I'm not around, I'm sure one of my aides will help..." he admitted sheepishly. "And I guess that's it. I hope to hear from you soon, Ruby. Good luck on your journey."

And with this the newbie trainer turned to leave, but Sapphire took him to the door and handed him a bunch of Pokéballs. "You'll need these to get started. I'm really excited that I have a Pokédex buddy now! I hope to meet you many times on our journey, I want to battle you more."

"Oh, you bet!" Ruby replied, a mischievous smile in place. "Thank you."

And as she left for the unknown, the boy faced home one last time.

His mother took all the events of the day with great ease, as if she was already expecting something like this to happen. With Ruby being more than old enough to start his own journey (and _of course_ with his father's steps to follow) there were no objections to his request, and so half of the afternoon was spent making preparations to his departure. The boy ended up with a bag as full as Sapphire's, his father's very first Pokéball belt to carry Fish around, a good supply of food, water and money, and the promise that this would be as exciting as it got. Even his trusted book was with him too.

When the time came to definitively leave Littleroot, his mother didn't miss a chance to enlighten him on the dangers of this new, unknown continent and how he had to trust his friends to guide him through the troubles. He always had his father too, should he need any help, and he shouldn't be afraid to meet new trainers, that would make his experience worth the while.

Ruby listened to all this and nodded in lazy agreement, his Pokédex firmly pressed against his hands, just dying to be used. The last thing his mother gave him was something called 'Running Shoes', which were terribly unfashionable and seemed to be no different from his own, but apparently would help him run faster. The boy wore them just to humor his mother, but he soon realized they were actually quite useful.

Hugging his mother goodbye was at the same time sad and empowering, in the way she mentioned how proud his father would be to know what he was doing, yet in the way she was sure that he'd build his own path in a most spectacular way. Little did both know how true that was...

His leaving moments were blurred by excitement and promise, but he still would never forget them for what they were.

After leaving Littleroot, Ruby decided to let Fish out to follow him, while he kept fidgeting with his new Pokédex. It was actually quite addictive, and the boy wondered which Pokémon he was to capture first. His communication with his companion was wordless and strange, but the two seemed to have some sort of understanding. The Mudkip had an extremely amusing personality and it brought out a gentler, more smiling side of the boy. From the beginning he could tell he'd trust this new friend with his life, and he understood why Birch had asked them to go on this adventure.

But distraction in the wild in the mid-afternoon is seldom forgiven, and Fish was suddenly attacked by a Poochyena. The Pokémon seemed mocking and teasing in his movements and behavior, and Ruby was set on capturing it. The battle was easy and uneventful, and the Pokéball Ruby threw hit it directly in the head, capturing it with no further complications. The boy picked it up and watched its data being recorded on the marvelous equipment that was his Pokédex. After considering a name for their new companion, the young trainer came up with Faolan and was set with that. Ruby congratulated Fish on their catch far too formally, causing them both to laugh all the way to Oldale's Pokécenter.

Both Pokémon were healed again, and the nurse noted Ruby's constant visits throughout the day. He explained how he was just beginning his journey and she helpfully told him that the scientist that had been blocking the way was now away, disappointed that the footsteps were just his own all along. So much for being an expert... Ruby laughed at that and knew this was his chance to head forward. He'd get to Petalburg even before nightfall and would test Faolan in battle.

He left and lingered just a little while on the threshold of Route 102, overwhelmed with the beginning of so many good things: a dream, a story, a friendship, an adventure.

Then he merely stepped forward, set on giving all those things a magnificent course.

* * *

><p><strong>END OF PART ONE<strong>

So, since I've never played this game, I decided to go through Pokémon Emerald in a Nuzlocke Challenge! And since those who know me know I'm no good at drawing, a fanfiction it is!

The story is similar to the game's with personal touches here and there, and so far it's been going well.

My team at the time consisted on my level 8 Mudkip, Fish, and the newcomer level 2 Poochyena, Faolan. The second part is now ready to write, and it'll go all the way to Rustboro City.

So, what do you think? Leave opinions with your reviews.

I hope you've enjoyed, and now I need to update my other fics too...

kathlaida-princess logging out…


	2. Gym Leader Norman

**Ruby's Journey of Love, Harmony and Adventure**

**(my Nuzlocke experience from Pokémon Emerald)**

**Chapter 2**

**Gym Leader Norman**

The first steps into this new route were greeted with much excitement and care, for the day was running out and an unknown wild place in the dark had its many dangers. Ruby wandered into the tall grass slowly, turning his head left and right to enhance his awareness. Faolan's Pokéball was held tight in his right hand, just ready to be used when a wild Pokémon popped out... which didn't take long.

A Zigzagoon rushed in from the bushes, looking defiant and dangerous, and the young trainer was pretty certain this was the one that had attacked the professor before... In any case, it was ready to battle, and the boy wanted to assess his Poochyena's abilities... With an elegant throw, Faolan was out on the field, facing his opponent.

The thing about the dog-mon having a sassy nature showed in his most flirty behavior, lopsided smiles and possibly shocking comments he was throwing at the raccoon that his trainer (thankfully) could not understand, all in between clumsy tackles, and tired breathing. Ruby concluded that although spirited, Faolan would need help to train himself better, but as it was the Zigzagoon was at the end of its strength and ready to be capture. The Pokéball that hit it on the side swallowed it up in a red beam and stood still after very few nudges. Both Ruby and Faolan were quite happy for their first work together, and as the raccoon's data was also added to the Pokédex, the boy named his new little male Pokémon Finn.

Finn was immediately released and the boy relished on his Pick Up ability, but, surprisingly, the first reaction the now tame Zigzagoon had upon seeing the Pokémon that helped capture him was a genuine show of affection, hugging him and licking his face. Faolan was incredibly happy in having an impish friend that was as flirty and spirited as he was. Ruby smiled, hoping to see a close connection bloom and last.

"So, guys, we are not scared, are we?" the young trainer asked his Pokémon. They replied with great noise and gestures of courage. His smile grew. "Then let's keep going!"

The next hours were spent moving ambiguously forward in the dark, exploring every nook and cranny the forested grounds had to offer and training hard. As expected, Faolan needed help to take down his adversaries without getting too hurt, and because Fish was quite scared of his weird behavior, Finn always came into play, getting stronger as well. The two made a good team, and Ruby was starting to get the hang of which moves worked well together... The Zigzagoon's ability also proved to be highly helpful, though the boy couldn't understand how come he picked up so many Repels... Wasn't that a bit counterproductive to their training?

In any case, in the course of their training, Fish found out how he could sprout water from his mouth in a powerful Water Gun, and Faolan finally won his first battle alone, learning how to Howl! But his Howling was rather playful and had some ulterior undertones, making it less useful than expected (especially because it often enraged his opponents and had him more maimed than necessary...). On the other hand, Finn was an awesome battling machine, swift and accurate, resilient and strong. He seldom needed any help, even in his first battles, and he grew stronger quickly. Ruby was in glee at this new addition to the team! And the picked up items were a nifty bonus too, of course...

After a bit of wandering about, Ruby met his first trainer, and he obviously wanted to battle as soon as he saw him. This youngster called Calvin was a fountain of confidence, so the boy wanted to use his most confident (and almost cocky) Pokémon of his: sassy Faolan.

He had to fight another Poochyena, weaker too, but things didn't go easy for him... Despite Ruby's admonitions, Faolan attacked far too carelessly, getting himself badly hurt... Thankfully, Finn quickly came to his rescue, landing a critical hit upon the opponent and rendering it unconscious. And, though it was quite unnecessary, the Zigzagoon felt the need to flaunt his victory on his friend, who took it in the best way possible, pouncing on him in a playful thank you. Ruby sighed, receiving Calvin's money and shame. Interesting friendship they seemed to share...

But now the sun had gone completely down on the horizon and the unknown forest became an intricate maze. In the darkness, Ruby and his companions got easily lost... But the young trainer did not miss this as a valuable opportunity for growth, and under the moonlight, his Pokémon fought well against the night guardians. Step by uncertain step, they grew tired, but also more powerful, and experience helped the boy learn how he was to lead with each of his Pokémon in particular... And it was such a lovely place to train in, too, despite the dangers lurking everywhere! When they needed some rest, the group found a beautiful spot by a small lake, eating canned food over a roast pit while they took in the wonder of the stars dancing upon the surface of the water. They lingered there for a moment, with mostly Ruby wondering how much his life changed in a single day and his Pokémon awkwardly studying his amazed expression, still too young in the group to understand... But then they carried on.

A bit further ahead, Ruby found a bunch of bushes growing on a special kind of soil, which seemed to be in fruit. He picked up some berries from all of them, but strangely enough immediately the plants withered and crumbled to the ground, returning the soil to its soft, loamy state. Confused, the boy kept the berries, but wondered what he was to do with the dead plants... He tried leaving one fruit behind, burying it gently on the rich soil.

After much fighting - with both wild Pokémon and straying trainers - Ruby finally found the end of the route, the profile of Petalburg City! It was late at night, so late that he sounded far too loud as he paraded in with great joy and everyone else was already asleep... His initial plan was to meet his father that very day and show him how much of a trainer he'd become, but he wasn't really ready for a psychological confrontation right now... Pushing back a yawn, he clambered to the Pokécenter nearby, and the nice nurse there (actually very similar to the one in Oldale...) showed him a vacant room for the night...

Fish, Faolan and Finn were released, and found very comfortable spots around their trainer over the bed sheets. The day was tiring and they weren't used to be a human's shield and companion. They were soon asleep. The boy, stripped of his white cap and trainer garments, showed his dark hair and a deep scar that ran across his forehead, the vulnerability of a human being with a personal journey to overcome. He yawned as he snuggled in a strange bed with increasingly familiar friends, heavily closing his vermillion eyes. Meeting his father. He was sure to be the first gym leader he had to face... Tomorrow promised to be an even bigger day... Lulled by these distant echoes of thinking, he too was soon asleep.

* * *

><p>Morning came long before Ruby opened his eyes again, several sets of paws pressing against his chest. All of them, Fish, Faolan and Finn, were already wide awake and impatient to resume their adventure, and the Mudkip even had his trainer's white cap over his head, slightly askew. The boy took it and placed it over his own head, smiling and getting up from the bed in one swift, energetic move. "Good morning, everyone!" he boomed, excited and terrified. "Today we meet dad!"<p>

Packing everything back up went smoothly, and breakfast at the Pokécenter didn't go without the unavoidable comment of other trainers regarding the new gym leader. How amazing would be to face a man that had come all the way from Johto, climbing the ladder up with so much effort and brilliance! As his companions fumbled with the spoons to their breakfasts, giving up and ending up eating it like the Pokémon they were, Ruby inwardly cringed. This really would be a long day...

Getting out and seeing the city in the daylight was a whole new experience. It was actually very nice, brimming with cheerful people, remnants of the forest and its own tiny lake, whose surface the boy stared at for long, studying the ripples and the clouds above, earning the attention and the commentary of another, "Sometimes it's so scary what we see in our reflection..."

It gave the boy something to reflect on, but he soon left without a word, seeing the Petalburg gym at a corner of the city... But before he had the chance to open the door, a young woman addressed him, looking pale and worried, a rarity there. She asked, "Sorry, but have you seen a boy about your age, with green hair and eyes? He's my son, Wally, and I'm afraid he ran away... We should be going away soon, but I can't find him anywhere..."

Looking apologetic, Ruby shook his head. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but no..." With no reaction, the woman went on her way, and the boy finally entered the gym.

The first room was spacey but plain, a door on each side of the opposite wall. The young trainer took a few steps forward to try and find his way in, but a man stopped him on his tracks. "Hey, kid, you need to leave! The leader's not taking any challengers yet!" But Ruby merely smirked darkly and replied, "The leader's my father. Can I see him now?"

At that there was no further questioning, and the boy was even spared of going through the gym's maze, as the man pointed to a narrow, discreet corridor that would lead him all the way to Norman's chamber. Ruby took it, thinking furiously of what he was to say and do as he walked on...

In the room at the end of the corridor, a man was crouched before a huge Slaking, spraying potions and other medicine on him, feeding him, readying him for the long chain of battles that were sure to come soon. This man wore fine clothing and his dark, short hair looked just like Ruby's beneath his white cap. The boy walked slowly towards Norman, who noticed him half-way, and turned to him with a smile that was full of surprise and something that Ruby painfully identified as awkwardness.

"Ruby!" he exclaimed, his voice rather high-pitched. He stood up and dropped everything he was doing, but he didn't move from the spot. "What are you doing here? Where is your mother?"

Oh, all the nervousness and doubt screaming in his expression! Ruby's mouth involuntarily curved down as he replied, "I got my own Pokémon, and I took on the Pokéleague challenge... Mom's fine, she's at home."

"Wow, you're a trainer?" but this time Norman was frowning, visibly disliking the idea. "That's... that's great, son... And the league... that means...?"

"I came here to battle you, dad," Ruby finally said it. He was dying to see his father's reaction, but someone burst in from the corridor while he opened his mouth to reply. It was a frail-looking boy with green eyes and green hair. Now, why did that sound familiar...?

"Mr. Norman, sir, my name's Wally, and I need your help to get my own Pokémon, sir!" the boy announced all in one go, panting heavily, as if he had ran all the way there. This supposition gained credibility when the man that had stopped Ruby before followed running behind. Now Ruby knew from where he knew this boy...

"I'm sorry, Norman, I tried to get him out, but he just started running and I couldn'-"

"That's alright, no worries!" the gym leader assured, ignoring his son for now and facing the newcomer. "Now, why all the rush? Why does it have to be me to get you a Pokémon?"

"My parents don't believe I can get one on my own!" the green-haired boy explained, his breathing now sounding forced and painful but the determination in his face unwavering. Ruby found himself admiring and relating a lot to this Wally... "But I'll be going away to Verdanturf with some relatives, and I'll get lonely if I don't bring a friend with me... Please, help me!"

Norman sighed, looking from one desperate boy to the other... He heard his Slaking chuckling behind him, but he was quick to find a way to solve all his problems in one go... "Ruby, please help Wally catch his own Pokémon..." he said.

"But, dad,-" the young trainer protested.

"-I'll be busy all day with challengers and meetings, and you'll do a perfect work, I'm sure... Here..." Norman handed two Pokéballs to Wally, "take this. Use this borrowed Pokémon to get your own. Good luck."

Ruby wanted to protest further, show that he was still there and he too was a challenger of the gym and should be treated as such, but the leader was already back to tending to his Slaking, and both him and Wally were being pushed out by the guard. The boy sighed angrily, frustrated, but for now he had an important task in hand. Wally was looking sheepishly at him, as if he really didn't know what he was supposed to do now and Ruby was his only life-jacket. The boy sighed again, calming down and beckoning Wally to follow him back into Route 102.

He attempted conversation. "So... this is your first time leading with a Pokémon?" he asked.

Wally, excitedly stepping into the tall grass, laughed, "Is it that obvious? It wasn't my fault, though... I've always wanted to become a trainer, but my parents never let me..."

Yes, Ruby had gathered that much from the way he talked before. Something more he could relate to the boy... But he knew his own reasons for being denied his dream for so long, what were his? Would it be indelicate to ask? However, it was quite admirable the way Wally still looked at everything with amazement and undying determination in his eyes, his dad's Pokéball held tight in his hand. Ruby was just considering speaking up his thoughts, but a wild Pokémon appearance beat him to the boy's attention. A Ralts appearance!

"Look, Ruby, that one looks good, is it good?" the boy pointed and asked, almost yelling.

Ruby, who had only seen one Ralts while training there with his Pokémon, nodded quickly and said, "That one is very good, Wally! Throw out your Pokémon and battle it!"

The boy did so, and it turned out that Norman had lent him a Zigzagoon. Ruby was amused to see how Wally was as helpless as him at the very beginning of his journey, and instead of ordering the raccoon a specific move he just shouted, "Attack!" And so it did...

Even in attacking the Ralts Wally was gentle, afraid that he might make his new friend hurt too much if he were a bit more brute... Thankfully, his unorthodox technique was enough for the boy to capture him, and it was heartwarming when the boy let the Ralts out of his own Pokéball and embraced him. Ruby really, really didn't want to ruin that moment, but he also felt that he should leave the boy to his own adventures. He returned the confused-looking Zigzagoon to its home before clearing his throat and saying, "Hum, I probably should go and return this to dad... And I guess you're going back home now? Your mom was really worried about you..."

Wally looked up from where he crouched and nodded, smiling, "Yes, I do have to go..." He got up, and out of the blue he hugged Ruby too. "Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this meant to me, Ruby!"

The young trainer, surprised and somewhat blushing, awkwardly returned the hug and mumbled, "No, I actually have..." The gesture lasted for only a few moments before Wally was off into the city, waving at him one last time. But Ruby still had one thing to say...

"Don't let anyone stop you from being a trainer!" he shouted, and Wally faced him. "Even if you're going away, whatever reason they're using to stop you, if it's your dream, go live it..."

The other boy just smiled and nodded. Then he waved again and left.

The trip back to the gym in Petalburg was lonely and quiet, and Ruby was preparing himself to fight for his own dream... This time the guard let him pass without a word being said, and his father was no longer tending to his Pokémon when he arrived at the final room. He returned the Zigzagoon.

"It's done. Wally got his own Pokémon and he's leaving now," the boy announced.

"Good..." Norman replied, sounding uncertain.

"And what about me now? Can we fight already?" Ruby insisted. But the look on the leader's face was not promising at all.

"Look, Ruby, you're still very early on your journey to face me... What if you..."

"Really? What the hell, dad, I'm ready to fight _now_! I came all the way there just to do it!" the boy interrupted, upset and almost shouting. "If you want me to go back and solve your stupid puzzle I'll do it, bu-"

"Ruby, you're not ready yet!" Norman yelled, and then there was silence. The gym leader looked a bit sorry for what he'd just done, but he was decided. Still, he sounded calmer when he carried on, "When you have four gym badges, you can come back and face me, okay? Then, we shall fight as equals."

Ruby couldn't just accept this without thinking he was being underrated by his own father, dismissed as if he were just a kid, but it seemed that today was not supposed to be a victory to him... He sighed and nodded, turning back to leave. "Alright then. I'll be back much sooner than what you're thinking..." he promised.

The boy left before he could see the mask slipping off his father's face, revealing a bittersweet look of unabashed pride and worry. There were many worries that filled Norman's heart, regarding dangerous rumors he'd been hearing ever since he arrived in Hoenn and how vulnerable his little Ruby would always seem to him when he remembered the day the ugly scar upon his forehead was made... Thinking of his family being involved in all these shadowy events was unsettling, but as the frustrated young trainer so kindly reminded him, it was his turn to shine now... And so Norman hoped he did.

* * *

><p>Ruby was furious when he finally closed the main door of the gym behind him, calling all three of his companions outside their Pokéballs to speak to them... Fish, Faolan and Finn were visibly concerned to see their trainer so upset, and surprisingly curious about his problems, or how else were they supposed to help him with them?<p>

He wasn't ashamed to speak up, "I'm very sorry to inform you, guys, but there has been a change of plans... We'll have to carry on to the next gym challenge and kick their ass instead, because dad's not cooperating with me at all..."

The Pokémon all exchanged sad glances before Ruby went on. "I don't know, I think nothing will ever change with us... He's never gonna see me as nothing but a nuisance, a clumsy kid who constantly gets in the way of him being someone... The thing is, what if he's right? What if everything I'm trying to do is doomed to fail? Am I really that worthless?"

The boy buried his face in his hands, but his companions didn't let him be depressed for long... Finn and Faolan had their tails draped over each other, and their paws around Fish. The three of them nuzzled Ruby's arm and looked up to him with the utmost trust anyone could show. It melted the boy's sadness.

They've made it that far. Sure it wasn't that impressive considering it was just their second day and their third town, but in just one day they'd already formed a bond this close. They began to understand one another, to place their lives in each other's hands (and paws). Ruby had to have some value as a trainer, and it was reflected in every single one of his Pokémon's souls. They all smiled, and Ruby felt, once again, empowered. Sure, he'd face four gym leaders in battle, and he'd earn their respect and a badge. He'd come back and he'd get his fifth one too. They could do it, he was sure.

Smiling, his hand kindly brushed over the fur of the Poochyena and Zigzagoon and the smooth, moist skin of the Mudkip. Their own smiles doubled, strengthened by their successful efforts. Ruby got up, and they were ready to leave the city... but...

"Sorry again..." a familiar feminine voice called to him again. "You're Ruby, right?" _Norman's son... _"The boy who helped Wally?"

Now that was a pleasant surprise... Ruby turned to face Wally's mother. "Yes..." he replied. "We met a while before. Is it anything wrong? Is Wally okay?"

The woman chuckled lightly. "Oh, Wally is just fine. He just left for Verdanturf. I just want to thank you for what you did... Will you join us for tea?"

The boy pondered... It was still a reasonable time in the morning, and all of them could surely have something to eat before leaving Petalburg. He looked at his Pokémon and they seemed to approve of it. He agreed and Wally's mother led them to their house.

In time they were kneeling around a small table, joined by Wally's father, tea set in the middle, and the kind woman was pouring a generous dose of the drink in each cup. Ruby took it and drank from it most graciously, instructing his companions to be as polite as they licked the tea off from their own cups.

This seemed to amuse their host a lot. Then, Ruby's curiosity finally overcame him and he asked, "So, why did Wally have to leave? And why all the fuss about him having a Pokémon?"

His words made the others more sad than uncomfortable, and the man explained, "You see, Wally has been sick ever since he was a little boy. He can't breathe very well, and because of that he grew to be a frail, weak teenager. Going on a Pokémon journey was out of the question, because he could get himself hurt and in trouble and there would be no one there to help him... He left to Verdanturf because the air is cleaner there, and his aunt is a wonderful healer, so she might make him better..."

Ruby nodded, seeing the boy with whole new eyes. His determination seemed to grow brighter in these unfortunate circumstances, but he wondered if his advice from before had been appropriate... No, there was no doubt there: everyone should have the right to follow their own dream, no matter the situation...

The rest of the visit was spent in pleasant conversation, and Ruby felt somewhat cherished and appreciated in this place... After a while, though, he noticed it was getting far too late, and he said he had to go now. Wally's mother brought him to the front door, and just like his son had done before, embraced the young trainer tightly. "Thank you for helping Wally, he's always needed a friend, and it's wonderful that you helped him gain two now. It had been a while since I've seen him smile so much..." And then she said something that made his day, "I know you are Norman's son... but as Ruby alone you show a lot of promise..."

The boy smiled and then left with his companions, left Petalburg and followed onto the next route. Perhaps they'd find a gym in the next city...

* * *

><p>Route 104 wasn't so different from the previous one, but the dream-like scent of salt in the air lulled Ruby to a sense of nostalgia, reminding him of a wonderful vacation so long ago that he only had memories of memories of it. Still he kept on training hard, and the newest addition to the group was a little male Wurmple that he named Felix. His size, however, was not to be fooled with, for upon training him Ruby discovered how much of a sick pleasure the worm drew from slaying others... He grew abnormally fast, soon (and unsurprisingly) evolving into a Cascoon. The others somewhat feared him, but it seemed to only make Felix happier about himself. Well, as long as everyone was okay...<p>

Little after they got further into the route, a strange man wearing black glasses bumped into Ruby, saying he was looking for a strong trainer, but upon looking him over, admitted he wasn't going to find one there. The boy felt insulted, and as the man rushed away, he yelled bad words at him, showering him with obscene gestures as well. What the heck...

They trained more, and some of the route after that was a beach by the ocean. The salty air mystery was solved in that moment, and Fish gladly treaded along the shore, leaving frail, ephemeral paw prints as he walked by. The sea water was probably a bit too salty for the Mudkip's preference, but he didn't seem to mind much... At the end of the narrow strip of sand, there was an empty cottage and a wooden pier with a boat tied to it, but the house was empty and its door ajar... It didn't look abandoned, though... The whole thing looked very strange... But Ruby carried on.

They soon came to a forest: Petalburg Woods. The trees had grown to a large arch, their branches intertwined, making the light reach the grassy ground in green hues.

Here Felix finally evolved into a full-grown Dustox, rising from his cocoon in a mist of poisonous powder and a veil of beautiful wings. His Confusion and Poison Sting were merciless and hurtful to all bugs and grass-types, giving him all the souls he needed to grow. It was on that forest that the first female Pokémon of the group joined them: a rash Shroomish. Playful, brash and courageous, this plucky girl soon made herself quite useful to the team, the rustling sound of her attacks a warning to any opponent that came their way. Her name was Fye.

The whole team had become a strong unit, actually. Fish had faced a Bug Trainer alone and all his Pokémon fell after a single Water Gun each.

But not everything was perfect... There were hidden items everywhere, and some strange, little trees blocked some paths that seemed most interesting... How would Ruby get rid of those?

And then trouble appeared.

A strange-looking, formally-dressed man approached Ruby near the end of the forest, asking for the exact location of a Shroomish. The boy, confused, was about to point to a wild Shroomish that Felix was about to defeat, but they were interrupted once more. This time the man approaching them was beyond bizarre. Wearing what looked like blue pirate clothes, this bearded man shoved the first one, demanding something whose name Ruby didn't quite catch... He had a Pokéball in hand and began threatening the man... In this confusion, the wild Shroomish escaped, and Felix was now by his trainer's side, as the boy decided he had to protect this stranger.

"Hey!" he yelled, frowning. "If you want a fight so much, I'll take you on!"

The man, impressive in build, merely laughed at Ruby, but he accepted his challenge. Sadly, his only Pokémon was a measly Poochyena, which Felix had all the sadistic pleasure in torturing with poison and insanity, before finally taking it out. The man looked terrified and astounded at this new development, but all Ruby could do was congratulate the Dustox, who was surprisingly most kind and cuddly to him. The other quickly ran away, but his last words intrigued the boy deeply, "This isn't over yet! Team Aqua will still win the upper hand! See you in Rustboro!"

Team Aqua? What the hell was that? And wasn't Rustboro supposed to be the next town? But it seemed his confusion was still to grow...

"Thank Arceus he didn't take these papers!" the strange little man, sighed, relieved. "Thank you, boy, for saving me, but my Shroomish quest will have to wait! I must return to Devon Corporation and stop whatever Team Aqua is planning to do! Here, take this as a token of my appreciation!"

The man handed him a Great Ball before he ran off, out of the forest. Devon Corporation? Oh well, Ruby would surely learn of all that soon... For now, he merely returned self-satisfied Felix to his Pokéball and walked out of Petalburg Woods.

* * *

><p>The path outside the forest treaded across a beautiful lake. Opposite the entrance to the woods there was another patch with growing berries shrubs, which Ruby shamelessly picked up. By that patch there was a small house, which had the words "FLOWER SHOP" beautifully written over the door. Extremely interested, the boy entered.<p>

The shop was ran by three young women who had a thriving interest in the berry shrubs, particularly when they blossomed. They explained to him the best way to plant and nourish them as to make Hoenn the most flowery possible, and they filled his pockets with berries too! They even gave him a very cute Wailmer Pail, because a well-watered plant was a happy plant! Ruby couldn't wait to put this new knowledge to practice, so he came to the patch he'd just visited and watered it all over, looking forward to when they'd be all beautifully bloomed... After that, he decided it was time to go on, and the fact that Rustboro was so close motivated him more...

Here the last addition to their team for the moment was made, a male Marill who was a bit of a prankster called Flip. He grew strong like the others, but they tended to get annoyed with him for his practical jokes... There was not much Ruby could do about it except try and talk to the water mouse for him to calm down, they'd just have to see if things would work out...

In any case, all of them appreciated the beautiful walk across the winding bridge, over the lake, battling every trainer that came their way with wonderful fashion. Two twins even entered a double battle with him, in which Fye and Finn cooperated with a wonderful result! The little Shroomish had the feeling she would be overshadowed in a team with only males, but it turned out her efforts were completely accepted, especially by Finn. And, well, she was quite impressive in battle. It seemed the Zigzagoon was pretty friendly towards everyone, but Faolan had a special spot in his heart.

The rest of the route consisted on battling Magikarps and collecting more berries, and then the bridge was over and the lake behind them. Before the young trainer and his companions stood the biggest city they'd ever seen, Rustboro sitting amongst its tall buildings and noises.

"There it is, guys... Our first big challenge!" Ruby announced. "Now let's solve some mysteries and, of course, beat some gym leader ass!"

With unwavering motivation, the group stepped inside the city...

* * *

><p><strong>END OF PART TWO<br>**

Silly, silly Ruby, you thought you'd beat Norman with your Pokémon at level 10? Good thing that didn't happen!

I am growing far too attached to my babies, and I'll be most sad should one of them die... Also, I am a huge fan of Wally, and there should be close bonding of all sorts in this story, with humans and Pokémon alike! These characters have potential for that!

Anyway, my team at the time consisted on my level 12 Faolan (Poochyena) and Finn (Zigzagoon) and the level 11 Fish (Mudkip), Felix (Dustox, who I hoped would become a Beautifly, but am much happier this way), Fye (Shroomish) and Flip (Marill).

I am currently playing the third part to start writing it, but for now I have to update some of my other fics...

Once again, I hope you've enjoyed, and please review with your opinion! Thank you **Eryn Goddess of Chaos **and **Yuki-Judai123** who did so last chapter!

kathlaida-princess logging out…


	3. Seafaring

**Ruby's Journey of Love, Harmony and Adventure**

**Chapter 3**

**Seafaring**

The winding streets of Rustboro were no significant challenge for Ruby and his companions, who explored them thoroughly over the rest of the morning. Apparently, the first gym they'd have to face was specialized in the rock type, and according to his trusty book, Fish would work amazingly as the lead of battle. But first, training was in order, and that came after exploring the city!

The many buildings they saw, much greater in number and size than any in any town they had visited so far, contained many treasures and slowly helped solve some lingering mysteries... People there acted differently from the others: the arrival of a stranger went unnoticed and a sense of hurry prevented them from being helpful enough... But still they had important things to say, especially the older inhabitants. There was an old man famous for cutting down the trees Ruby had trouble with before, and by handing him his first Hidden Machine (like a Technical Machine, but unbreakable), Finn learnt how to Cut them too. However, when faced with a specimen of said trees, the Zigzagoon was stupidly unable to use his new move: apparently they needed this first badge to validate it...

The group also visited a tall, large apartment building whose purpose was to house all Devon Corporation workers, and with this bit of information Ruby came a bit closer to unraveling one of the mysteries... Apparently, Devon was a very important company with headquarters in this city, dedicated to make all kinds of Pokémon and trainer-friendly merchandise, including the running shoes Ruby was still wearing. The boy came to it easily, for it surely was a big, imposing building, but an upset scientist wouldn't allow him to go past the entrance... It seemed they were having trouble with some sort of experience and visitors would only distract them in their dedicated working. Ah well... The young trainer now wondered what that weird pirate-man would want to steal from them...

A nice break from all the hard detective work was their visit to the Pepper household. The unfortunate couple couldn't make their little daughter, Walda, smile, and were asking random visitors for random funny words. Ruby went all the way to her bedroom, all full of several kinds of Pokédolls, but was almost immediately kicked out by the girl's angry father, for the words he chose were not appropriate at all (but he could swear Walda was holding back a fit of giggles...).

Then they found something that seemed quite interesting: a trainer school! It was well advertised everywhere and Ruby found it quite easily, entering the small place when no classes were in progress. Many students were still taking notes on Pokémon health statuses and basic training techniques, but near the door the boy found a familiar face... The man in sunglasses that had insulted him before found him too, and with the same smug demeanor, he grinned and said, "Woo, I remember you, boy!"

But Ruby looked quite annoyed at him, "Yes, I remember you too..."

The other merely laughed at him, dropping a heavy hand on his unprepared shoulder. "Haha, I get it, I was a little harsh on you before... But, hey, I've got to hand it to you, kid, you've made it this far, and that is better than what I had expected..."

But the young trainer was even more annoyed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Great. What are you doing here again?"

The man slid his black glasses to the tip of his nose, staring directly at the boy before smiling more and replying, "Oh, sorry if I was rude! My name is Scott, and I've been looking far and wide for strong trainers... But not just regular strong trainers, I want championship material, real Pokémon battle experts! Alas, I find no one like this here, but I've seen you've shown promise... Maybe the next time we meet you'll be of value to me..."

Scott scurried away before Ruby had a chance to protest against his demeaning comments, but at least there had been a considerable improvement in his behavior towards him... And he was left with a stingy curiosity about the reasons the man had for his search... After a while, however, the boy got bored of the basic, trivial, stupid things these students were memorizing at school, and moved on with his explorations...

The rest of the city, though flourishing and surprising, held no more mysteries and solved not the ones that lingered... There was no sign of the pirate-man or the Devon worker he had met before anywhere, and for the first time Ruby was faced with the city's gym. Apparently Roxanne, the gym leader, was one of the best students that school had. Perhaps the time had come to start preparing for it...

The trainer and his Pokémon headed north and then east, eventually reaching Route 116. This would become their ideal spot to train, but first Ruby had the chance to capture a level 7 female Nincada, who went by the name Flint. The jolly bug was boxed for the moment, but perhaps she'd be of some use soon...

Training went well, and his Pokémon grew in strength and abilities. There was much celebrating in the fact that Faolan finally learnt to Bite and actually became completely dependable, but Flip was still up to his obnoxious pranks on his companions, one time deeply angering the dangerous Felix and almost ending the situation in a nasty fight... Ruby was worried with this problem, but there wasn't much he could do... He spent some time wondering where he had failed as a trainer, but didn't feel prepared to face himself and his Pokémon just yet... He felt like a coward for it, like he was already betraying a new friend, and this would probably haunt him in the future, but the boy secretly decided that he'd box the Marill after this first gym... But, for now, training them it was, no matter at what cost...

There was a cave and many trainers standing at the end of Route 116, but Ruby decided to face them later... For now they trained in the shallow wilderness, beating Nincadas, Poochyenas, Zigzagoons and the occasional Skitty, and after a while, the team was ready to fight the rock gym.

Returning to Rustboro, Beautiflies bubbling nervously in his stomach, the young trainer healed his Pokémon at the center, where the nurse looked just like the one in all the towns before this. But although different, she seemed to recognize Ruby as well... While she was powering up the healing machine, she said, "Ah, white cap, red eyes, and a Mudkip... I know you've passed through Petalburg to be here, my colleague told me so... I take it you're challenging Roxanne?"

The boy nodded, "She is the first gym leader I'm fighting..." He sounded quite nervous.

But the nurse chuckled, aligning all six Pokéballs over the machine, "I see you have a Mudkip, a Shroomish and a Marill, and in a wonderful shape too... You'll do fine! Do you know where to go next?"

"There was a cave up north... Does it lead anywhere?" Ruby asked.

And the nurse nodded too, "It's a tunnel to Verdanturf, and the shortest path to the next gym, in Mauville. There were some workers there, trying to finish the tunnel, so if you're lucky it might be open when you're done with the gym!"

Ruby was empowered by the woman's confidence, and couldn't help but smile, watching his Pokémon now being healed. Also, the thought of going to Verdanturf, possibly meeting Wally again, gave him something to look forward to... In any case, it didn't take long for the process to end, and once Ruby was returned his friends, he smiled wider and chimed, "Thank you, for everything!"

The nurse bowed her head and waved as the boy left. He walked the short way to the gym more nervous than before, taking a long glance at the front of the building, as well as a deep breath, before going in. Fortunately, the soft inlay of the gym calmed him down. Sure, the main room was large and tall, but the pavement though hard was pink, and the walls not unlike those of the school before. Immediately a man came to the young trainer, ready to explain what he had to do...

"It's quite simple, actually..." he began, pointing to a short maze ahead of them, "... you just need to walk through there, face any trainer that comes your way, and fight Roxanne in the end. You must already know she uses Rock-types, so..."

"...water and grass-type Pokémon will have better chances," Ruby finished, encouraged.

The man nodded and laughed, "Well, I guess my work's done then! Finally, if you beat her, your name will be carved there..." he pointed to a tall stone slab beside the entrance of the maze, all engraved with many, many, many names, most of them written well before Roxanne's "reign". Ruby actually stood in awe at that, running his fingers across the smooth surface of the stone, feeling strangely responsible for not letting all those people down... He held the Pokémon to Flip tight, and highly motivated, went ahead.

It turned out he had absolutely no reasons to be worried! The Marill was well trained, and every rock that crossed his path fell under a single, well-placed Water Gun. The trainers let him pass easily, and in no time the boy was face to face with the gym leader.

She stood on a small platform, a bit higher than the rest of the floor, and there was a simple yet interesting symbol drawn on the wall behind her. Roxanne smiled upon seeing him approach, and quickly retrieved three Pokéballs from her schoolgirl backpack. Ruby would need just one...

There were few words exchanged between the two trainers before the battle began, and then there was no talking at all. This time, the boy used Fish to face the girl's two Geodudes and the crown in her team, a Nosepass. The Geodudes fell easily, as the Mudkip dowsed their grainy skins with water. The giant nose-statue offered more of a challenge, with Roxanne using a berry and potions as she saw her companion grow wearier. However, its resilience soon reached its limits, and finally the Nosepass crumbled under a final Water Gun.

Ruby had defeated his first gym leader!

Proud, Fish jumped to the boy's arms, almost knocking him down onto the wet, rock-scratched pavement. He laughed, his previous nervousness turning to sheer gladness, offering both the Mudkip and the Marill his sincere thanks for the victory.

Though endeared by the sight, Roxanne found it fit to climb down the stairs to her perch and hand a small object to Ruby: a small metal object that looked just like the drawing on the wall.

"Congratulations, you've earned your first badge, the Stone Badge!" she announced happily, though there was a hint of sadness in her voice. "You can now use the HM move Cut outside battles..."

Ruby looked at the badge in his hand, so small yet so meaningful, and pinned it gently to the inside of his bag. In the meanwhile, the girl had gone to lovingly gather the remains of her fallen Pokémon, and the boy could understand her sorrow now. A single, subtle tear escaped her eyes. He held Fish tight in his arms and walked to the girl, placing a hand on her shoulder. Roxanne smiled a bit, and then continued, "You can also come with me, write your name on the stone..."

The young trainer followed her to the entrance of the gym silently, awkwardly receiving his congratulations from the man there. He took the small chisel and hammer Roxanne gave him and knelt down to write his name at the bottom of the list, but before he began, he considered the names again... Each line represented a victory, but it also represented a defeat, and he wondered how many times gym leaders had to start anew, losing friends every time a new trainer came in and rose to the challenge... What a difficult, hardening life... They knew everyday how fragile a trainer really was. Slowly, Ruby carved his name, but before he felt he was done, he faced the gym leader and asked her, "Your Pokémon... what were they called?"

Roxanne was taken aback by the very unusual question, but she gave him the three names, followed by many, many characteristics particular to them that only a trainer would know... Her mood was progressively lifted. The boy listened, and went on writing for a while, stopping only when the girl went silent. He got up and returned the tools, before bowing as a farewell and leaving the building.

The gym leader bowed back and watched him go, and only when he was gone did she venture a glance at his name. She let out more tears and a genuine chuckle at the surprise.

In between parenthesis, next to Ruby's name, were written the words, "_Thank you, Ridge, Spar and Jeff. I won't let your sacrifice be in vain_."

* * *

><p>It seemed that there were yet more surprises to come! As soon as Ruby stepped out of the gym, Fish suddenly felt dizzy and demanded to be put on the ground, only to start glowing like the very sun above them. The boy was very worried, even more so when the shape of the light began growing taller and bigger, but before he could do anything, the light faded and the Mudkip was no longer himself... How silly of him, he had just evolved!<p>

This new form, a Marshtomp, according to his Pokédex, stood on his hind legs and had more color, and Ruby hugged him again. It had been a wonderful gym challenge altogether, it seemed...

Fish had even learned a new move, Mudshot, which was like a Water Gun, only with mud added.

But this next part of his journey wasn't always pleasant... Like he had decided, Ruby returned to the Pokémon Center, healed his friends again (while the nurse enthusiastically congratulated him on his victory) and replaced Flip with Flint on his team. The boy felt terribly cowardly, as he placed the problematic Marill's Pokéball in the computer without giving him as much as an explanation to his retirement from the team. Soon the ball vanished, and the small, pixilated icon of his short-lived companion showing on the screen of his deposit box gave him no comfort. Maybe he'd deal with it better when he became a better person, a decent trainer... But for now, as he logged out of his account and dragged himself out of the Center, he felt like the lowest kind of betrayer that existed... Holding Flint's Pokéball now, he hoped that this rough beginning would change into a better life for her...

Yet there wasn't much time for more of this depressive thinking, as soon a familiar face came up and begged for help. It was the Devon worker from the woods, and he stood at the threshold of route 116 looking most distressed. Some calm was brought to him when he noticed Ruby approaching. "Boy, it's you again!" he squealed in joy, uncomfortably holding the young trainer by his shoulders. "I hate to do this again, but I need your help, desperately!"

Ruby couldn't repress a sigh and just asked, "What happened this time?"

"It turns out those Aqua guys did go on with their plan, and they stole something really important from me! I need you to get it back, please! They went that way," he pointed to the recesses of the route.

The boy pulled his cap onto his forehead, and merely nodded, ignoring the silly display of the man's excitement as he ventured forward, resuming his incomplete exploring of that route. On the way, there were many trainers, along the grass and among a natural hedge labyrinth, and the young trainer fought them, accustoming Flint to her new companions, and beating them. He even fought his very own Youngster Joey and his pet Machop!

The Nincada, however, was a very peculiar Pokémon. For a creature as shabby and sturdy as the bug-mon, she held a magnificent sense of humor and optimism, a way of behaving and a spirited demeanor that was most inspiring. She might be weak and grow slowly, but as she fought, nothing seemed to trouble her, seeming to face her challenges with much ease, and a kind of courage that seemed humbler yet truer... Maybe there was a lesson to be learned here...

In any case, the others soon grew quite attached to her, and it was no wonder that by the time the group had reached the entrance to the tunnel they were a new, better team. There was a small cottage there, which apparently served as the base of the diggers who were finishing the tunnel. That would be the first place to look...

Ruby's intuition served him well, for inside the building, several men looked worried and frustrated, some holding their heads with their hands while others paced around, cursing under their breaths. It had to be the pirate-man's doing...

"The guy's crazy!" was one of the man's trembling reply when the young trainer mentioned the Aqua goon. "The tunnel's not finished, and if he goes messing about, he'll make the Pokémon angry and something will go wrong! Someone has to stop him..."

The trainer nodded, but was frowning, confused, "What do you mean, wrong? What Pokémon are these?"

"Whismur," the other replied, "If something upsets them, they'll start yelling and bring the whole place down... so much hard work thrown out the window..."

Ruby looked up these Whismur on his Pokédex, and through what he found he could tell this would be a delicate matter. Still, he had to do something...

"I'll be careful," he assured. Then he left.

The small distance to the tunnel entrance was covered in no time. Along the rocky walls of the cave, the boy noticed some odd indentations carved at irregular spots, but couldn't understand what purpose they served... Maybe a Pokémon move would make these markings bigger, more useful? Ruby moved along, and as he entered the tunnel, he was faced with yet another rescue mission.

This time it was an old man, a sailor, he guessed, from the way he was dressed, from the subtle scent of salt wafting from his wrinkled, tan skin. He looked highly distressed, his mouth curving into a grimace under his long, white beard, and when he noticed Ruby was entering the tunnel, he begged, "Please, save my Peeko... That pirate goon, he took her, and I can't get her back... You have to help her, he'll hurt her..."

Ruby had no idea what a "Peeko" was, but since this request somehow collided with his previous one, there was really no reason why he shouldn't accept. He nodded, smiled kindly at the man, and finally entered the cave.

The rocky tunnel was narrow and dark, except for the little torches scattered along the path. The diggers had done quite a remarkable work, and Ruby couldn't wait to get through these problems so that he could just get to the next town, meet Wally again and face a new gym challenge next... But things never seem to go as easily as planned...

After a few minutes into the tunnel, Ruby fought and captured his own Whismur, naming it Phone and watching him get sent to the computer. Just a few meters beyond that and he found what he was looking for.

The boy was thankful that he didn't have to watch how it all happened. Apparently, it was too late for him to stop the disaster the workers had warned him about, and he saw the Aqua-goon stumble about in distress, a Wingull firmly grasped in his hands and a pile of debris behind him, blocking the tunnel. The man was scratched and covered in dust, and the group of Whismurs that had certainly caused all that were just about to scatter away. This was probably the best time for Ruby to act. The sight of him only made the other angrier.

"Oh no, not you again! I-I came all this way to escape, but everything had to backfire, didn't it! I stole this stupid bird..." he held out the frightened Wingull, "and not even that is going to help me now..."

The young trainer chuckled sadly at that, and readied his Pokéball for the battle. "I'm glad you can see that, at least," he said. "It'll be easier to bring you down."

As usual, the battle was quick and easy. The goon still only had a Poochyena and Ruby decided to let Flint deal with it. The Nincada, sturdy and well-humored, took the wolf-like Pokémon down with a single Leech Life. However, the other must have already expected his defeat, for he immediately sprinted away, taking Ruby quick reflexes and a sudden tackle to stop him from fleeing. As he pinned the man down with Flint's help, the first thing he remembered was taking the Wingull so it wouldn't get crushed under his weight (he wondered if it really was the old man's Peeko after all), and then he had his own questions to ask.

"Alright, enough! Why the heck do you keep robbing that man? And what is Team Aqua anyway?" Flint clicked her pincers in front of the man's face to emphasize their point. The other wriggled beneath him, but he soon understood he was fighting a lost cause, for now.

"Aah, my boss ordered me to steal this package from Devon! It was important for our plan... And you may have won this time, but you have no idea of what's to come, and not you nor anyone can stop us... Keep the damn package and your stupid bird, I don't care!" Suddenly, the goon displayed a strong pulse of force and slipped from Ruby's grasp. He ran to the exit before the boy could do anything else. "I will be seeing you soon!" he smirked with confidence.

As he left, the young trainer gathered the stolen parcel and soothed the scared Wingull with steady, soft strokes across its feathered head. Flint crawled closer to him, as if wondering if she could do anything for her new friend, but Ruby was just contemplative when he spoke, "This Team Aqua is up to no good... And this guy may be an idiot, but I'm worried about this 'boss' he talked about. We'll have to be careful..." He reached out to caress the Nincada too with a sad smile, and then returned her to her Pokéball. "You did a great job, Flint. Thank you."

And the boy was steadying himself to get up and leave when he heard new, fast steps, the old man from before coming to view and grinning wide at the sight of the Wingull.

"Peeko!" he yelled, and the bird leapt to the man's arms with much chirping and excitement. "You saved her, thank you, thank you so much!"

Yes, the Wingull was a female and was, after all, Peeko. Ruby nodded in acknowledgement and smiled brightly. "It's okay. But..." he turned to the tunnel blocked ahead of him, and his mood dropped, "... it seems all their work has been in vain. I don't think there's any way they can clear this up without being hurt..."

The old man joined his woes and nodded, but he seemed more hopeful than the boy. "Maybe a Pokémon would be able to smash those rocks..." he pondered, "But a stronger one. In any case, you saved my beloved Peeko and I owe you my gratitude. My name is Briney and I own a little cottage by the sea near Petalburg Woods, along with a boat. Should you ever need any help, you can find us there."

Ruby thanked him, and they left the now useless tunnel together. He was a bit sad that he couldn't get to the next gym soon enough, and wouldn't be able to check up on sickly Wally. After finishing his lagging mission, he would have to find a new way to get to his next gym...

Mr. Briney and Peeko said their last goodbyes and left for their home, and the boy walked the rest of the way to meet the Devon worker alone. The man was thrilled to see the package safe and sound on the boy's hands, doing a small celebratory dance when it was returned to him. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" the man exclaimed, bowing almost ridiculously before Ruby. "You've helped me so much already, I feel the need to offer some sort of reward. Here, have this..." he handed him yet another Great Ball, "... and the President will want to thank you personally... Follow me."

And the young trainer really didn't have much to say to this, or any reason to deny this meeting, so he just did as he was told. The worker led him to the familiar building of Devon Corp, and this time the guard did let him get past the first floor. As they went higher, there were more scientists working, researching, deeply focusing on their tasks, and then they finally got to the president's office on the third floor. The worker knocked on the door, and a deep voice allowed him in.

It was a big, imposing room, decorated with all sorts of precious stones and other minerals. A man that could only be the president sat behind his well-organized desk, an inquisitive gaze peering from a well-tended veil of grey eyebrows and moustache. A neat, stern metal plate stood on it, bearing the words "CHARON STONE, PRESIDENT" in plain carving. The man beside Ruby scurried off to chatter something in his ear and only after that did the president beckon the boy to come closer.

"So, I hear you helped my man not just once, but twice. And against those Team Aqua goons, no less. I'm impressed."

Ruby bowed his head a little before replying, "Thank you, sir. I did what I could."

"No, thank _you. _That was a very important parcel you just protected, very important indeed. I can't tell what they'd do with it. That's why I must ask you to protect it once more."

The young trainer was a bit uncomfortable at this, seeing as he had other things to worry about, but the president disregarded his reaction completely.

"Yes, you must deliver it safely to Captain Stern, at the Slateport Shipyard," he carried on, seemingly absent-minded. "You are a trainer, after all, and you should be on that way in any case, for the gym. Also, before you get there, you will pass by Dewford, also home to a gym, and you shall deliver a letter to my son, Steven. He has gone there for training, yet I find the urgent need to get through to him. Is that okay?"

Ruby had a very unpleasant reply just dangling from the tip of his tongue. He had done this man two favors already, and as a method of thanks, he asks for yet another one... However, this mission put him back on the track of gyms, and perhaps meeting these people wouldn't be so bad... Mr. Stone must have noticed his hesitation for he was quick to chuckle and add, "My dear Ruby, I am a great president, you know, and a great man. Your efforts will be well-rewarded in the way Devon does best!" He signaled the other man and he brought forward a strange device, not quite different from his Pokédex, that sat quite comfortably on his hand.

"That is a PokéNavigator, or a PokéNav for short," the president explained. "In it you can find maps, scan your Pokémon's condition and you can install all sorts of software that are surely practical for a trainer. I want you to have it, as a token of my appreciation. Let no one think that Charon Stone is ungrateful when in need of help."

Ruby worked the device open and indeed it was filled with wonders. The Hoenn map! The beautiful, detailed Hoenn map! He scrolled the path he'd already walked from Littleroot and felt a bit proud of himself. The boy was no longer bothered with his mission.

"Thank you, Mr. Stone!" he excitedly exclaimed, and the man just shook off his words.

"Don't think about it... But about this little adventure of yours, I must warn you against both Team Aqua AND Team Magma."

Team Magma? That name was new for the boy. But the president carried on.

"Both are powerful organizations of sinister criminals. They both have eccentric, delusional ideals and I fear what they might do with the technology I'm entrusting you with. You must be careful. You have already met Team Aqua twice, but this was solely a minion. If the higher-ups of both teams should take notice of you, you should be well prepared indeed..."

This didn't scare Ruby, not one bit. A hand passed by the belt that held all his companions, and as this man trusted him, so he trusted his friends. They'd work even harder and they'd become a fearless team! The boy smiled and put his new PokéNav away. "I will be," he murmured. "Now, with your leave, I should get on with it, sir..."

But the president was having none of it. Eventually Ruby had lunch with him and his assistant, and in their company he toured the rest of the Devon Building. All the scientists seemed somehow deranged, slaving on projects that never seemed to work, and the boy thought best about leaving them be... However, he was lucky when one of them actually installed something useful onto his PokéNav: an application that served as a phone, Match Call.

Back at the lobby, both older men dismissed the young trainer with wishes of good luck and a safe journey. He thanked them and left, wondering how he'd get to Dewford and Slateport now...

* * *

><p>Finding a nice bench at the edge of the city, Ruby opened his PokéNav once more and stared, frowning, at the unforgiving map. Both Dewford and Slateport were across the ocean. How the heck was he supposed to go all across the ocean? Fortunately, his luck in his adventures had already offered him an amazing solution, and thankfully it didn't take the boy long enough to conclude it himself, "Oh, Mr. Briney's boat!" he muttered through a wide, relieved grin.<p>

His cottage was beyond the woods, and after that he could just use the favor the old man owed him.

Ruby was significantly more cheerful when he got up and aimed for the woods, but he hadn't let go of the PokéNav just yet... The cursor in the screen ghosted past the software he'd just installed, and at the thought of having a telephone, he was reminded of his new friends, Sapphire and Wally. It would be nice to have some way to contact them, should this venture of his turn ugly. After all, in this crazy region, they seemed to be the only people he could trust, beside his father, but he certainly wanted to do everything without his help.

Extremely luckily for him, Sapphire just appeared at the edge of Rustboro, as if summoned by the boy's wistful thinking. Actually, as he came closer to her, she appeared to be expecting him... Soon the girl was waving and smiling at him. "Ruby! I knew you'd be here! And, yay, you do have a PokéNav too!"

The boy grinned and nodded, and before he could say anything else, the girl was chiming her number, and he gladly gave her his. He immediately felt less lonely with that.

They walked together for a while, Sapphire following the boy out of the city, as they talked about what they'd been doing since they last met. The many Pokéballs lined on her own carrying belt told him before she even said the words how busy she had been with her Pokédex quest, and Ruby countered with his own mission to find Briney and cross the ocean. They hadn't even approached the subject, but both of them were already tingling with the excitement of a new battle, which Sapphire finally proposed once they were closer to the woods than to the city. Ruby accepted the challenge right away.

He could tell the girl's Treeko had grown since the last time, and both him and his new companion, a vicious-looking Wingull, looked eager to make amends for their previous defeat. Ruby decided team work would be his best strategy, so he sent both Faolan and Finn out.

Sapphire stood grinning behind her Pokémon. "I hope you realize I was holding back before!" she shouts, and with a gesture sends the both of her fighters to attack. "I really want to see how you handle a battle now!"

The boy resisted the urge to retort that he _did, _in fact, defeat a gym leader already, but instead he did the sensible thing and offered his own companions a strategy to counter-attack. Faolan and Finn moved beautifully, with a sort of coordination that reflected their growing bond. The boy was proud.

A little dodging and much tackling and biting later, Sapphire proved to be not much of a challenge. She looked quite surprised at seeing her fallen Pokémon now fainted before her, but an impressed smile soon took over her expression. She laughed sheepishly and called her friends back, whispering words of comfort. "Well..." she said, "I should have remained quiet..."

But Ruby soon dismissed it by shaking his head and laughing too, reaching for Sapphire's hand to give her a proper handshake. "I've been training, you know. But it was still awesome to find and fight you again." And after he gave his Pokémon a thankful embrace, he called them back to their Pokéballs.

The girl laughed back. Silently (but not awkwardly), they walked together some more, to the edge of Petalburg Wood, but Sapphire had other places to go to. This was their second goodbye.

"But I'll be seeing you again soon!" the girl assured him, as she waved and walked back. "Expect me around Slateport, I'll be doing some research there."

The boy nodded, and after seeing her away, he walked the rest of the path alone.

It was easier to walk the wood back than it was getting through the first time, but that was to be expected. He crossed the forest in no time, seeing the sea cottage before him as soon as he went through the last thicket of trees. Mr. Briney was thankfully sitting on a wooden bench outside his house, staring distractedly at the sea while little Peeko hovered about. Ruby approached the two of them smiling, and when the old man noticed him, he merely smiled back.

"I take it, you're here to ask your favor?" the sailor assumed, and the boy saw Peeko come near him and peck him softly in a greeting. Apparently, she still remembered her savior.

"If it's not too much trouble..." Ruby replies, his expression an apologetic smile. "I have to run an errand in Dewford and then Slateport, and you already know what happened to the tunnel. It seems I have to go by sea, and I have to other means but this..."

Briney nodded, dismissing the apology in his every word with a reassuring hand gesture. "The youth today, always so busy, busy, busy!" he laughed, but his laughter was gentle. "I'll take you there, it'd be nice to spend a few days away, there are friends I miss. Besides, it's been a while since I've taken the old lady out..." he points at the boat. "We can leave now, if you want!"

Ruby's eyes widened at that sentence, for he was expecting their departure to be delayed for longer. But he quickly nodded in agreement, "That would be wonderful! How long will the journey to Dewford take?"

The old man was already walking about, gathering some strange objects from his house and then moving them to the boat, beckoning the boy to follow him. "If all goes well, we'll be there by late afternoon. It's still a bit far away, you know?"

But Ruby just laughs and climbs aboard, shaking his head, "Yeah, I know... I was just wondering. Thank for this, Mr. Briney. Tell me if there's anything I can do."

"It's Captain Briney now!" the old man replies, good-humored, pointing to his telltale hat, but quickly ushers the young trainer to the front of the boat. "And just stay there, I can handle the old lady by myself. Look around you, enjoy the view! We'll be moving in a while!"

And the boy did just that.

* * *

><p>The trip to Dewford was a wonderful breather to all the walking he'd done so far. The refreshing scent of salt swept across his face in a wonderful breeze, as Ruby leaned across the railing at the front of the boat. It was a small boat, and didn't need much handling, and Mr.- sorry! - Captain Briney was keeping her going at an impressive speed. All the boy had to do was relax.<p>

He had released all his Pokémon onto the deck, and while some of them got seasick (poor Finn, thankfully he had Faolan to tend to him...), most of them were thoroughly enjoying the change of pace.

There wasn't much to see, except for the gatherings of Tentacools every once in a while clinging to the boat, a few trainers swimming alongside them with their trusted Pokémon, the vast expanse of azure water stretching all across the horizon, evaporating into the beautiful, bright sky. There were a few inlets here and there, and Ruby could swear he had seen a cave bizarrely surrounded by a hexagon of rocks, but mostly there was only the utter freedom of open sea. Once again, the boy was reminded of a happy family's vacations a long time ago.

And, funnily enough, when his PokéNav suddenly buzzed through his backpack and he rushed to answer his first phone call ever, the voice that met his was his father's.

"Ruby?" the man sounded careful, almost nervous.

"D-dad!" Ruby replied in almost the same tone. "How did you get my number?"

"I spoke with Mr. Stone, he explained me everything you did, and what you're doing for him now... You seem to be doing well on this journey of yours..." A small pause. "Where are you? It sounds so... windy."

"Huh, I'm in Mr. Briney's boat. He gave me a ride to Dewford and will give me one later for Slateport too..."

"I see..." And yet another pause. Awkward. And now Ruby could hear his father struggling with what to say, unknowing of how he wished just to speak the words the boy wanted to hear, like, _'well done, son"_, or, _"I'm worried about these Team Aqua and Magma guys, but I trust you can do this. Just be careful...". _But nothing really came out. Silence. And then he gave up.

"I need to get going now, Ruby..." he shamefully excused himself, his tone even more saddened now. "I'll talk to you soon."

And before the boy could reply, the connection was over. He sighed at the screen of the device in his hands, noticing that Norman's phone number had been saved. He put it away, and wished he could go back to just a few minutes before.

Now the rest of the trip became much too bittersweet, the memories of better days invading him, uncontrolled. Some of his friends must have noticed the change in his face, how he could no longer see anything beside the thoughts running through his mind. But not a word was said.

The boat rushed on, to orange skies, firmer lands, new realities.

* * *

><p>The island of Dewford was even smaller and more secluded than Ruby initially thought.<p>

The land stretched to a narrow strip of sand that greeted the newcomers, and beyond it a small group of houses was snugly clustered together. Ruby could see a group of people fishing by the beach, many people about the town, staring wide-eyed at the approaching boat, the familiar Pokécenter and Mart among the houses. He could see a bigger building which he assumed to be the gym, and he could also see a small mountain overseeing the beach, opening into a cave. He supposed he would find Mr. Stone's son there. Finally, he could see the dock coming nearer, and Captain Briney maneuvering the boat to fit into it nicely.

And Ruby wasn't wrong about the people being secluded. As he left the old sailor to his boat and own business, he went to heal his Pokémon and explore his way around, and the people took far too keen of an interest on him. Dependent on the arrivals of newcomers from the outer world, the inhabitants longed for news on trends and fashion, and the boy found himself cornered into answering an unbelievable amount of ridiculous questions, like new catch phrases that showed up and others like that.

It was after he got a pretty silk scarf and a fishing rod from more amiable, normal people that he realized how everyone there was absolutely batshit crazy about the whole trendy catch phrase deal, because EVERYONE began using it in conversations with him. Ruby was severely nervous at that. He hoped he would leave soon. (Faolan ended up getting the pretty scarf, nicely hung around his neck. The young trainer could hear Finn teasing him, though.)

And before Ruby dared to face the cave, he passed by the gym, reading the broad information sign at the door. The leader was a man called Brawly, specialist on the fighting type. Hmm... As far as he could tell, no Pokémon of his had a natural advantage to the type, in fact, many of them were weak to it. He would need to be prepared... Perhaps this cave would give him the perfect environment to do so.

On the way there, he fought more fishermen and their ridiculous army of Magikarps, and ended up fishing one of his own at his first experience with the rod, a female, level 6 naughty one that he called Cahn. But no more delays were to be had, and the boy soon found the entrance to the cave he had seen before, while still on the boat, entering without much ceremony.

The cave was dark, but enough light filtered through the rocky archway to allow him to see where he was going. This cave also seemed much more natural than the tunnel in Rustboro, its jagged surfaces cutting and chaffing if the boy got too close. As soon as Ruby got in, he could see an older man, a hiker, walking about, carefully examining the rocks, and the boy made sure to talk with him. After a short conversation, the young trainer learned that indeed Steven Stone was still training somewhere deep inside the cave, and was informed that the light wouldn't get all the way to the lowest floors, so he'd better use an alternative. The man gave him another Hidden Machine, the fifth one, which allowed his Pokémon to learn Flash, but he'd need the town's badge to make it work. Well, now that was just bloody useful...

Ruby thanked the hiker anyway, and somberly walked further into the cave, already making himself believe that this would be a difficult journey.

And his training began right away.

This new environment obviously meant that he would find stranger, new Pokémon. He fought and captured a modest Makuhita, whose movements and skill gave him no reason to be so, and his team faced the most extraordinary and interesting foes, all the while having to feel their way across the pitch black corridors of the cave. Every once in a while, Ruby would collide with a wall or a stray rock, sometimes even an aggressive Pokémon.

Arons and Sableyes left him in complete awe. The first, a seemingly innocent creature dodged most of his companions attacks, and the boy tended to avoid them, even if he was fascinated in imagining how these would grow and evolve as Pokémon. The latter, who crept on the shadow and whose diamond eyes reflected the faintest beam of light aimed at them, were scarier than they were fascinating, and proved to be troubling, but gave the team a huge sense of accomplishment whenever they brought one down.

Once again, all of Ruby's Pokémon showed steady development with time. The plucky Shroomish girl Fye was the weakest in attack, but she was stubborn and gave no mercy in her Leech Seed and Absorb, making her battle style ruthless and unforgiving.

The same could be said about Flint, the Nincada, but her personality was much more cheerful and easy-going, even if the effort she put into her attacks was just the same.

Both Faolan and Finn try to learn Odor Sleuth at some point in their training, but their attempts failed in order to perfect other moves. When possible, they still worked together and the Zigzagoon still came to his friend's rescue after he had been a bit too reckless. Like that one fight against a particularly strong Makuhita and its super effective, critical hit move. Finn was terrified at seeing Faolan almost gone, hurt and exhausted, and he promptly saved him with a well placed Headbutt. Back at the Pokécenter, while the Poochyena was waiting to be healed, they shared a tender, touching moment, when the dog ran his soft, wet tongue over the other's face in a thankful caress. Ruby was particularly moved by this display of affection, and didn't want to quite imagine what would happen if indeed Finn hadn't been there in time. He shuddered.

And he was promptly scolded by this new nurse as he was handed his Pokéball back. He promised to be more careful. He really had to.

Thankfully, a new, happier event soon served to ease the memory of Faolan's injuries, for after an easy battle against a poor Zubat, the Pokémon found himself glowing and growing as Fish had done before him. Soon enough, he had taken the shape of a beautiful Mightyena, prouder and stronger than his previous form, and much more intimidating too. The silk scarf still settled elegantly around his neck, the fur of his mane gently melting with it. Immediately Finn came to appreciate the new body of his best friend, and he was in awe. Ruby couldn't quite understand Pokémon speech, but by the way Faolan was moving and nudging the Zigzagoon, he was certain there was some sort of solemn promise of mutual protection exchanged between the two.

After more groping, stumbling and loads of progress, the young trainer and his companions finally reached the inner chamber of the granite cave. The small division was much better illuminated than the rest of the cave, for the sunlight from that dying day fell in a shade of orange from an opening in the rocky ceiling, hitting a man who was carefully examining a wall. He was formally clothed and the hair on his head was as grey as Mr. Stone's. Ruby was certain this was his son.

The boy stepped closer and politely cleared his throat. Steven took immediate notice of him, turning around and joining the young trainer at the center of the chamber, as the boy quickly took out an envelope from his backpack.

"I-I'm Ruby," the boy began, offering a small smile as a greeting. "Mr. Stone said I was to deliver this letter to his son,-"

"Steven Stone!" the young man completed, smiling widely back. Before he took the handed letter, Ruby could feel his keen eyes studying him thoroughly, as if appraising him, evaluating his worth as a trainer. The boy felt uncomfortable. But then his attention was fully given to the piece of paper in his hands, and as he ripped the envelope and scanned the letter, his expressed became more and more worried, which in turn worried the boy more as well.

"Wow, my father certainly knows how to keep me busy..." Steven finally muttered, folding the sheet of paper and placing it back in its shelter. Then, as he took renewed interest in the trainer before him, his assessing smile was back on. "I must say, I'm impressed that you found me so easily, and with no Pokémon to light your way. This is my favorite spot to investigate rare stones, and few people know of its existence. In any case, I must reward you."

Ruby was given a new technical machine, Steven's favorite move, Steel Wing, the man himself admitted, but he didn't leave without giving the boy his PokéNav contact and adding a final comment, "You seem very capable, and your journey has only just begun. If you keep up this rhythm and keep on training, maybe you could become the new Champion. I'm sure he would appreciate the challenge."

The young man crossed the archway to leave before Ruby could say anything, but he still wasn't sure of how he could really reply to that... He felt quite flattered that he had received his best compliment since he had become a trainer. But a part of him couldn't get over the haste that immediately possessed Steven after reading that letter, which made him leave so suddenly, and for the first time the boy feared he had got himself into something too big for him... It wouldn't be the first time, he somberly reminded himself, brushing a thumb over a spot on his forehead, covered by his cap.

But he also feared that this time the consequences would be more terrible, more real.

* * *

><p>The last of the boy's training held more wonderful progress, with two more Pokémon evolving under his care. Little Flint, the determined Nincada, became a full grown insect, a magnificent Ninjask, but someone else had been created when she left the shell of her previous body behind. Shedinja was the name of this mysterious bug ghost, and though she seemed so much frailer in this form than when she was a Ninjask, Ruby decided to give her a chance at proving herself further. He was glad to see that Flint still retained her good sense of humor even as a ghost.<p>

The second marvel was Finn's evolution into a beautiful Linoone, to Faolan's great appreciation. The two companions, now fully grown, capable and confident, would certainly bring all kinds of amazing victories to their team for as long as fate allowed them to fight together.

With this, the young trainer deemed his companions ready for the gym challenge, and after a new healing session at the center (this time the nurse was kinder, and even congratulated him on his new evolutions), the boy was banging on the gym leader's door.

The battle took place before the crest of the gym, while the last sunrays of twilight filtered through the glass ceiling. Ruby finally met Brawly, who was refreshingly much saner than the people surrounding him. He was still wearing the surfing uniform from when the boy almost dragged him out of the water to battle him, and his disposition was light and unworried. One by one, he called out his team of three: a Machop, a Makuhita, and a Medicham.

"Even if you had to drag me here, I admit that this is a fine time to have a battle!" Brawly called out, behind his companions. "My Pokémon know their worth, they have worked for it. You won't beat them easily..."

But unfortunately for the gym leader, the Pokémon Ruby had in mind had neither time to consider anyone's worth nor the mercy to care. Soon enough, the cruel Felix was hovering about in midair, and with swift movements and a wonderful use of his Confusion attack he ruthlessly wiped out the three Pokémon. Medicham proved to be a challenge, with its quick wit as well as brawn, but in the end it had fallen under a well-placed Gust.

The new badge Ruby received, the Knuckle Badge, proudly joined its predecessor, and like Roxanne before him, Brawly tended to his fatally fallen friends.

Suddenly the boy felt utterly tired, as if finding no point in having to deal all these sorts of suffering and sacrifice onto people just to prove a point. Even the Dustox above seemed to ponder on the meaning of his slaughter. But also like he did before, he followed the good-hearted leader to the stone slab where all the winners' names were inscribed, and like before he added his own personal message to the Pokémon this man had trained and cared for for as long as he could. He felt his hurt better than he did before, though, for this time he had come close to lose one of his babies as well.

When he left the gym, Brawly placed a strong hand on his shoulder and told him, in a tone more emotional and personal than any gym leader should use, that he should know his worth, for he had it aplenty.

Ruby nodded, thanked him, and considered his words all the way to the Pokécenter, the dark night following on his heels.

When he hit the new soft bed for a well-earned night of rest, he finally realized just how exhausted he was. His slumbering Pokémon surrounded him, a cover of comfort and trust over his blankets that were merely woven out of thread, and when he too fell asleep, he thought and dreamed of nothing more.

* * *

><p><strong>END OF CHAPTER<strong>

I am sorry for the delay in this chapter, but exams got in the way, and this chapter is almost bigger than the last two together!

I'm never again going to put two gyms on the same part... Ah well.

So, the team is growing, and I know I'm taking a huge risk with Flint-Shedinja, but it's actually a very interesting Pokémon and I never had the chance to work with it before.

Also, I love Finn and Faolan. I panicked when that Makuhita almost KO'd my little Poochyena.

By the end of this part I had in my possession:

Fish the Marshtomp (20), Faolan the Mightyena (20), Finn the Linoone (20), Felix the Dustox (20), Fye the Shroomish (20) and Flint the Shedinja (21).

In the box: Flip the Marill (15), Phone the Whismur (5), Foo the Makuhita (7), Cahn the Magikarp (6) and Flint the Ninjask (20).

As for the reviewing, thank you so much **Fenrir of the Shadows **(thankfully, he is smarter than Ash in that aspect, and so is the player behind him!) and **Eryn Goddess of Chaos **(I'm playing this one on a ROM too, since the cartridge is my sister's and she'd murder me if I deleted her save file xD Aw, poor things! I feel for Paula, since that is my real name as well. I've heard that Wattson is a bit of a bastard at naturally selecting your team… Thank you, I am a huge fan of the manga, and most of the characters are so wonderful there! I couldn't resist. Finn and Faolan are my favorites too. And Fye will be very useful, I know! It was a wonderful strike of luck. And I still don't want to think about when I lose one…) for the support, and the same goes to all readers!

I still have to update other fics and play the fourth part before writing more, but I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Stay well...

kathlaida-princess logging out…


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